let's bring in jon. the speaker said no blank check for the president, but it's not clear that he has the votes to get his plan through the house. what's the latest on that and what's the fallback plan if he doesn't? >> reporter: they don't know if they have the votes yet. this is a tough vote for boehner because a lot of tea party conservatives already think they've sacrificed too much. republican leaders are confident they have the votes and say the president's speech helps them because they can go to conservatives and say, you see the president doesn't like it, it must be a good thing. as for plan b, george, i don't get the sense they have one right now >> that's the same sense i get from the white house. the president calling for compromise last night, but what he's really hoping is republicans cave on this short-term debt ceiling and get him something through the election. >> reporter: white house officials are hoping the senate republican leader, mitch mcconnell, will be able to convince house spea